Victim of alleged police brutality files $10 million suit against Norwalk, four officers

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NORWALK — The attorney for a Norwalk man who suffered multiple injuries during a 2012 arrest has filed a $10 million lawsuit in Federal court against the City of Norwalk and four Norwalk police officers alleging civil rights violations.

The 19-page lawsuit, obtained by The Hour and that was filed by Greenwich attorney Phillip Russell on behalf of now 23-year-old Cody Greene, alleges that police officers violated Greene's civil rights and caused a series of injuries, some of which were deemed permanent.

In addition to the City of Norwalk, defendants are police officers Steven Luciano, Felipe Taborda, Adam Mulkern, and Julio Rodriguez.

The action is being brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983 and 42 U.S.C. 1988 and the first, fourth, fifth, eighth, and eighteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

According to the lawsuit to be filed, Greene was visiting a friend at 16 School St. when a black vehicle with tinted windows pulled up next to him and the four defendants, all dressed in black exited the vehicle and began asking him questions.

"At no point in time did the individual defendants identify themselves as police officers, nor were the individual defendants wearing and/or displaying any clothing or badging that identified them as such. At that point, and for no reason, defendant Mulkern attempted to 'pat down' the plaintiff."

The complaint further alleges that the fearful plaintiff ran from the scene and the police officers engaged in a foot pursuit. During the foot pursuit, the suit further alleges that a gun was pointed at Greene and he was Tasered.

"The plaintiff tired, Tasered, and staggering fell with his arms outstretched ...Thereafter Defendant Luciano rolled the Plaintiff over on his back, placed his knees on the Plaintiff's outstretched arms, sat on the Plaintiff's chest, and beat the Plaintiff's head and face numerous times with closed fists and elbows," according to the complaint.

According to a police report dated July 19, 2012 police say: "We were dressed in black Raid type uniforms with 'POLICE' in bright yellow letters, making us immediately identifiable as Norwalk Police Officers."

"The lawsuit is not unexpected based upon the initial posturing of Attorney Russell in this case," Kulhawik said. "However I am confident that our Assistant Corporation Counsel will vigorously defend the officers who our investigation found had acted within the law and within department policy."

At the time of the arrest, Kulhawik said that he had no reason to suspect the officers involved in the apprehension used excessive force.

Kulhawik noted that the investigation was "hampered by Attorney Russell's decision to not allow his client to be interviewed nor would he allow the release of any medical records in the case."

President of the police union, Dave Orr, also commented on the lawsuit Saturday morning.

"The officers named in this complaint have already be cleared of any wrong doing. The Internal Affairs investigation supported that force was applied correctly and according to policy and law," Orr said. "I am confident that this processes will yield the same determination, and that the details of the arrestee's criminal behavior which precipitated this incident and made any use of force necessary will come to light as well."

At a Friday morning press conference attended by Greene, Russell, attorney Todd Haase, and private investigator William Smith, Russell said, "Exactly two years ago today Cody was accosted by four people in civilian clothes who demanded he submit to a search. When he ran away, he was chased and when he was caught he was Tasered and beat up...His injuries are prodigious and are outlined in the complaint. They are life-altering injuries and this is a tragedy."

The lawsuit alleges that, "The Plaintiff's injuries, or some of them, will be permanent in nature and/or permanently disabling."

"Because of the injuries sustained, the Plaintiff was transported to Norwalk Hospital via ambulance, placed in a medically induced coma, placed in intensive care, and remained in the hospital for four days," according to the complaint.

Greene was charged at the time with two felonies: Possession with intent to sell, a possession of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a school or housing complex, and four misdemeanors: Two counts of interfering with a police officer, possession of a controlled substance; and criminal trespass.

He was arraigned in his hospital bed on allegations of selling marijuana in a housing complex and led police on a foot chase in which three officers were injured. Two of the officers were hospitalized; one with a gouge to his leg requiring 15-20 stitches and another officer with a hamstring injury.

"The unlawful possession charge was based on marijuana that was found in a window well of the complex, and the interference charges were based on injuries the officers sustained in the chase," Russell said. "Cody was cleared of most charges and was placed in a diversionary program for minor offenders."

"The officers were cleared in an internal investigation," Russell said.

"We don't want this to be swept under the rug, and we hope that this doesn't happen to any other citizen of Norwalk."

The city has 41 days to answer the complaint and a motion to dismiss is due by Oct. 16, 2014.